This invention relates to a method facilitating carrying of a child by an individual. More particularly, the invention allows a child to be carried while the child is standing.
A number of devices have been devised for carrying infants and young children. Such devices often are not appropriate or useful for carrying larger children. Nor are known conventional arrangements adapted to support a standing child.
The following patents are known and are believed to be generally representative of the state of the art in this field:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,898, issued Feb. 20, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,272, issued Jul. 25, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,811, issued Sep. 2, 1986, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,402.
According to the approach of the invention disclosed and claimed herein, a relatively simple and inexpensive apparatus is disclosed for efficiently and reliably carrying a child, the approach having particular application for use by an individual when carrying a larger child. The weight of the carried child is carried primarily by the hips of the individual doing the carrying and the child when standing is positioned to encircle his or her arms about the individual in the vicinity of the individual""s neck to safely maintain the child in position when carried.
The apparatus includes a support for positioning about an individual""s waist and for engaging the individual""s hips when positioned about the individual""s waist.
Releasably securement means is connected to the support for releasably securing the support in position about the individual""s waist.
A pair of foot engagement members is provided, each foot engagement member of the pair of foot engagement members for engagement by a foot of a standing child to support the standing child.
Connectors extend between the support and the foot engagement members to retain the foot engagement members at spaced locations on opposed sides of the individual and disposed at an elevation below the support. This allows the standing child to stand on the foot engagement members with the standing child""s body positioned behind the individual""s back and the standing child""s arms proximate the individual""s neck whereby the standing child""s arms are positioned to encircle the individual in the vicinity of the individual""s neck to maintain the standing child in a desired position relative to the individual while carried by the individual.
The invention also is directed to a method for supporting and carrying a standing child. The method includes the step of positioning a support about an individual""s waist.
Two foot engagement members depending from the support are positioned on opposed sides of the individual and disposed at an elevation below the support.
The child""s feet are positioned on the foot engagement members to provide support for the child.
The method also includes standing the child on said foot engagement members with the child""s body positioned behind the individual""s back and the standing child""s arms proximate the individual""s neck whereby the standing child""s arms are positioned to encircle the individual in the vicinity of the individual""s neck to maintain the child standing in a desired position relative to the individual while carried by the individual.
Other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawings.